Dublin backs decision regarding chief appraiser

Wednesday

Nov 12, 2008 at 12:01 AM

By JESSICA HORTONStaff WriterNews@empiretribune.com

The Dublin City Council is sticking to their guns.

On Monday night, the council stood against other taxing entities that signed resolutions disapproving of the recent action taken by the Erath County Appraisal District board of directors to give ousted Chief Appraiser Jerry Lee a more than $100,000 severance package.

Several taxing entities, including Erath County and the Middle Trinity Groundwater District, have disagreed with the package, which will be funded by taxpayers.

On Oct. 28, the council went against its sister entity, the Dublin ISD, and voted 6-1 to support ECAD representative Katherine Prater.

Several members of the community, including Don Keith, Dublin school board president, and J. Mac Rust, attorney for a coalition of area businessmen who support Lee’s dismissal, addressed the council regarding the issue.

Keith argued that Prater is not representing the taxing entities she is appointed to represent.

“She stood right here and promised to bring important business items before the board and council,” Keith said. “And she never once brought up the $100,000 the board was going to pay Jerry Lee. Let’s send her a message that we want to be represented!”

Then it was Rust’s turn.

“Be brave enough to stand up for Ms. Prater as you’ve done before,” he asked. “These members of the ECAD tried to do what was right.”

He also reminded the council that it is possible to approve one part of the resolution without the other.

The statement was contradicted by City Manager Jerry Guillory who told the council that all the taxing entities’ resolutions must be the same or they wouldn’t count.

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